


Mal Vignettes #5

by wheel_pen



Series: Viridian Mal [37]
Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fish out of Water, Gen, Imprinting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-17
Updated: 2013-04-17
Packaged: 2017-12-08 19:27:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/765129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wheel_pen/pseuds/wheel_pen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mal has a special day; Trip and Archer contemplate how dangerous he can be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mal Vignettes #5

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Viridians appear human, but are actually aliens who imprint on other people (Viridian or otherwise) and form a bond with them. They also live their entire life cycle in about six Earth years.
> 
> 2\. In each series, a different character is a Viridian, who was raised by mean Klingons on an outpost. An Enterprise crewmember is captured by the Klingons and they inadvertently form a bond with the Viridian, who helps them escape. Then they return to rescue the Viridian and bring them aboard the Enterprise. The Viridian homeworld is contacted and the Enterprise crew learn the Viridian will most likely die if they are sent away. So they end up staying on the Enterprise, and the crewmember has to adjust.
> 
> 3\. The bad words are censored. That’s just how I do things.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this AU. I own nothing and appreciate the chance to play in this universe.

            "So… Do you know what today is, buddy?"

            "Um, it's Wednesday, isn't it?"

            "But it's a _special_ Wednesday, Mal. Can you guess why? Don't peek!"

            Mal refrained from summoning the answer from Trip's mind. "Um… No."

            Trip looked disappointed. "Don't you even want to _guess_?"

            "There's not much point in guessing," Mal told him. "I've no idea what it is. The guesses would simply be random and ridiculous."

            That was kind of what Trip had been hoping for. "Fine, I'll just tell you then. It's… your birthday!"

            Mal blinked at him. "My birthday?"

            "Well, kind of," Trip allowed. "Obviously we don't really know when your _exact_ birthday is. But Phlox said you were about two years old when we picked you up from the outpost, and that was _one year ago today_ , so I thought that would be close enough." Mal still didn't look particularly excited. "Happy birthday!" he prompted again.

            "Well, if it's all the same to you," Mal began slowly, "I'd rather celebrate in ten days or so."

            "What's in ten days?" Trip asked without comprehension.

            "Well, if one year ago today _Enterprise_ rescued me from the outpost, then it must have been a few days earlier that I first met you. Plus one year, of course," Mal decided.

            "Okay…"

            "But it was about ten days _after_ _Enterprise_ rescued me that you decided to keep me," Mal pointed out. "So I would rather celebrate that."

            Trip smiled at him. "Well I guess that makes sense. We'll just say your birthday's in ten days, then?"

            "I don't think it should be my birthday…" Mal thought for a moment. "I think we should call it 'Tripday.'"

            Trip rolled his eyes. "Um, maybe we should negotiate on that point…" He could just _see_ his friends' faces when he told them it was 'Tripday.'

 

***

            "So the Captain said to meet at the northwest corner of the market. Um… any ideas which direction is northwest?"

            "No. You know I'm not very good with directions. I'm sorry."

            "Well, I'm sure we'll figure it out…"

            "Can we get something to eat soon, please?"

           Trip gave the man walking beside him a sideways glance. "What happened to the snack you brought?"

           "I'm saving it for an emergency," Mal explained. "And, I don't really feel like eating granola. It's rather dry sometimes, you know."

           Trip sighed. "Well, I don't know, maybe we can—"

           Mal let go of Trip's hand. "Just a minute." Spinning around, he grabbed something—or someone—behind them and lifted it from the ground, holding it at arm's reach. The creature kicked and struggled, for all the good it did, but Mal's grip was steel.

           "Mal, what are you doing?" Trip demanded. "I think that's just a kid."

           With his free hand Mal wrenched something from the alien's sleeve. "It has a knife. It was going to rob you."

           "Well, you stopped it in time, so why don't you just put it down and let it go, huh?" The child, or perhaps short alien, was clad in dirty, ragged clothes, which Trip had learned were pretty much a universal sign of a desperate situation. And it wasn't like the creature had _actually_ succeeded in robbing him.

           Mal set the alien's feet on the ground but didn't release it. Instead he drew it closer and extended the retractable blade of the knife, pressing it against the alien's throat. "Mal," Trip warned.

           "Bother us again, and I'll cut some new holes in your throat," Mal growled, referring to the gill-like slits the alien possessed. "Tell your friends." Finally he let the alien go, shoving it away from them. Knowing what was good for it, the creature sprinted away through the crowd. Mal folded the knife back up and slipped it into his pocket.

           "That was kind of vicious, you know," Trip told him with some exasperation. Mal shrugged and grabbed Trip's hand again. "And just what do you think you're going to do with that knife?"

           "Perhaps we could barter it, for food?" Mal suggested hopefully. "I thought I saw a fruit stand up ahead…"

 

***

            Archer swung himself up onto the platform in front of the warp engine. "How's it look?"

            Trip nodded encouragingly. "I think we're gonna be back online in just a couple hours, Captain."

            "Good." Archer glanced around, stalling momentarily. Trip had a feeling he knew what he was stalling about. "How's Mal?"

            "Fine," Trip replied, eyes on the engine controls. "He's helping scrub off some of the smoke damage."

            "D'Clem was… upset when he learned that three of his people had been killed," Archer mentioned, in as casual a tone as he could.

            Trip's expression was hard. "I hope you told him, that's what he gets for tryin' to take over our ship."

            "That's exactly what I told him," Archer answered firmly. "No matter what his cause, there's no excuse for trying to steal _Enterprise_."

            "And injuring the crew," Trip reminded him.

            Archer couldn't be quite so vengeful about that. "It was minor injuries only, Trip. Phlox said the worst was a broken ankle."

            "Which would never have happened if our _guests_ hadn't pulled their little stunt."

            "All their weapons were set to stun, Trip. The weapons don't even _have_ a higher setting."

            Trip slapped his palms down on the control panel a little harder than necessary and finally looked at Jon. "Yeah, well, Mal can't be set to stun, okay? He's got two settings, _off_ and _kill_ , and I'm not exactly in control of that." He shook his head, trying to refocus on his work. "He senses a threat, he tries to stop it. Whatever it takes."

            "There has to be… Can't you take him to Marcus for some kind of training? Practice sparring, learn how to disable without killing—"

            "Mal doesn't spar," Trip said, his tone indicating just how many times he'd said this before. "Mal doesn't practice. Mal just _does_."

            "Look into it again," Archer ordered him. "There's going to be a time when we _really_ don't want a threat dead."

           Trip sighed and watched the Captain leave. "Easier said than done," he muttered.


End file.
